Owners have filed 333 complaints
about the 2012 Toyota Sienna with NHTSA between 2012 and 2026.
The largest single group is the airbags.
Across this model's run it ranks 11 of 23 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 35
Against the median year of the Toyota Sienna. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 70
13.5% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 58
34% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a
system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and
knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
Body
5573.3%
Door
1114.7%
Latch
22.7%
Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
22.7%
Hinge AND Attachments
22.7%
Warnings
11.3%
Speedometer/Odometer
11.3%
Pressure Monitoring AND Regulating Systems
11.3%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
1810.9%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
148.5%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
116.7%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
3219.4%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
2817.0%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
3521.2%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
159.1%
150,000+ miles
127.3%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jan 2012peak 26Jul 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2012 Toyota Sienna
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.C...
Recalls on the 2012 Toyota Sienna
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202172355,683 units in Canada
Electrical
Issue: This recall is for certain block heater kits installed on certain vehicles or sold as accessories at Toyota or Lexus dealerships. On certain vehicles, the engine block heater cable may not have enough heat protection and could be damaged by high temperatures. If this happens, the cable could short circuit while plugged in, and cause the wiring to overheat or melt. Note: This recall only affects the following block heater/cord part numbers: C014003034 PK5A408J09 PU14000904 C014003151 PK5A408J13 PU14000905 C014000885 PK5A489J11 PU14000907 C014000888 PK5A489J22 PU14000909 C014000907 PK5A410H00 PU14000911 C014100904 PU14000900 PU14000913 C014100907 PU14000901 PU14003571 C014100911 PU14000902 PK5A489J14 PK5A408J05 PU14000903 Safety Risk: Engine block heater wiring that overheats or melts could create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Toyota recommends that you should stop using the engine block heater immediately. Toyota will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to disable the engine block heater. For some vehicles, the corrective actions for this recall are under development. For others, a new engine block heater cannot be installed, and the owner will receive a refund of the purchase price of the engine block heater.
Recall 2019008376,282 units in Canada
Airbag
Issue: On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the passenger-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function. Safety Risk: If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury. Corrective Action: Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to have the passenger-front airbag inflator or airbag module replaced. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.
Recall 201658660,190 units in Canada
Structure
On certain vehicles equipped with power sliding doors, under certain conditions which impede the opening of the door (such as if the door becomes frozen with ice), the sliding door motor could stall when the door is operated. If the motor stalls, high current in the door motor circuit could be generated, operating the circuit protection for the door motor. If this occurs with the sliding door latch mechanism in an unlatched position, the door could open while driving, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant. Correction: Dealers will replace the existing junction block and the rear sliding door wire harnesses with newly designed ones. The dealer will also install two sub wire harnesses to connect the junction block to the two rear door wire harnesses.
Recall 201141620,000 units in Canada
Label
Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 110 - Tire Selection and Rims. The combined weight of occupants and cargo, as displayed on the Tire and Loading Information label, does not meet the requirements of the Standard. As such, the vehicle could be unwittingly overloaded, which would result in poor vehicle handling characteristics, increasing the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will install an updated Tire and Loading Information label, as well as an owner's manual overlay label. Customers with certain vehicles equipped with a genuine Toyota trailer hitch and 18” run flat tires or 19” wheels will be presented with an option (1) to remove the trailer hitch or (2) replace the tires (and rims) with new Extra Load Tires.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Chatham, NYCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
I was at a full stopped and rear Ended at 30 miles an hour and the air bags did not deploy and I am suffering many injuries pain and loss The air bags didn’t deploy at all
NHTSA complaint #11499500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chatham, NYCrash1 injured
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was at a full stopped and rear Ended at 30 miles an hour and the air bags did not deploy and I am suffering many injuries pain and loss The air bags didn’t deploy at all
NHTSA complaint #11499500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chatham, NYCrash1 injured
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
I was at a full stopped and rear Ended at 30 miles an hour and the air bags did not deploy and I am suffering many injuries pain and loss The air bags didn’t deploy at all
NHTSA complaint #11499500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 230,000 milesLansdale, PACrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH, IT WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, DROVE OFF THE HIGHWAY, AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER THREE TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LANDED UPSIDE DOWN. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED VIA AMBULANCE TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO SEEING A CHIROPRACTOR. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 230,000. *LN *TR*JB *TR *DT
NHTSA complaint #11277556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 81,500 milesEastvale, CACrash
SERVICE BRAKES
ON THE AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 10, 2019, MY TOYOTA SIENNA FAILED TO BRAKE AND RESULTED IN A TWO-CAR COLLISION. JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, MY SON WHO WAS SEATED IN THE SECOND-ROW, OBSERVED ON THE MULTI-INFORMATION DISPLAY THAT THE ABS, VSC, AND TRAC WERE DISPLAYING.
NHTSA complaint #11166471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 81,500 milesEastvale, CACrash
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
ON THE AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 10, 2019, MY TOYOTA SIENNA FAILED TO BRAKE AND RESULTED IN A TWO-CAR COLLISION. JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, MY SON WHO WAS SEATED IN THE SECOND-ROW, OBSERVED ON THE MULTI-INFORMATION DISPLAY THAT THE ABS, VSC, AND TRAC WERE DISPLAYING.
NHTSA complaint #11166471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Owego, NY
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
The automatic side doors of this Toyota sienna le have malfunctioned twice between expensive repairs. When the hardware comes off the guide rail, it hits the window behind the door and shatters in covering the interior and occupants with glass. I had the window repaired after I had the door hardware replaced after its first failure in spring of 2024. The door gave no indication it was failed until I noticed the window bulging and nearly broke again. The Toyota dealer didn’t seem very interested in covering the cost of the repairs I made in 2024 and can’t get me in until mid August which leaves me without transportation for a month.
NHTSA complaint #11750350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Owego, NY
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
The automatic side doors of this Toyota sienna le have malfunctioned twice between expensive repairs. When the hardware comes off the guide rail, it hits the window behind the door and shatters in covering the interior and occupants with glass. I had the window repaired after I had the door hardware replaced after its first failure in spring of 2024. The door gave no indication it was failed until I noticed the window bulging and nearly broke again. The Toyota dealer didn’t seem very interested in covering the cost of the repairs I made in 2024 and can’t get me in until mid August which leaves me without transportation for a month.
NHTSA complaint #11750350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 201,235 milesEssexville, MI
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Sienna. The contact was unable to use the driver's side cargo door. The contact stated that the door was possibly frozen; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the door opened unexpectedly. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V858000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 201,235.
NHTSA complaint #11714163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Carmel, IN
ENGINE
Coolant leaking from rear of the engine through the head gasket. Vehicle struggles to accelerate beyond 55mph or 80kmph. A quick search on the internet shows that this is a frequent occurrence in this 3.5L V6 engine from Toyota model years 2011 through 2017.
NHTSA complaint #11691968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Alpine, AL
STEERING
The battery light came on suddenly and the power steering went out making it extremely difficult to steer the vehicle. An accident was narrowly avoided. We replaced the battery, alternator, and serpentine belt. The problem resolved for over 6 months, then reappeared. It starts with no issue, is charging properly, the serpentine belt is intact. The power steering will come on and go off sporadically, the only warning being the battery indicator on the dash that comes on first. This creates a substantial hazard and risk as the steering is severely impacted with little warning.
NHTSA complaint #11687324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Sienna. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 48,230. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 241,080.
NHTSA complaint #11686996 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
South Richmond Hill, CT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The power sliding door cables snap by itself and unable to open or closed. While my children and I were in the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11674183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saginaw, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2012 Toyota Sienna having problem while braking on highway 65mph or above, when i hit brake it's start shaking so bad and brake doesn't work properly. i believe it is sway bar link or lower control arm. even i had replaced once, it didn't helped and again i claimed warranty and replaced other set, but still having same issue.
NHTSA complaint #11674058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saginaw, TX
SUSPENSION
My 2012 Toyota Sienna having problem while braking on highway 65mph or above, when i hit brake it's start shaking so bad and brake doesn't work properly. i believe it is sway bar link or lower control arm. even i had replaced once, it didn't helped and again i claimed warranty and replaced other set, but still having same issue.
NHTSA complaint #11674058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saginaw, TX
SERVICE BRAKES
My 2012 Toyota Sienna having problem while braking on highway 65mph or above, when i hit brake it's start shaking so bad and brake doesn't work properly. i believe it is sway bar link or lower control arm. even i had replaced once, it didn't helped and again i claimed warranty and replaced other set, but still having same issue.
NHTSA complaint #11674058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 152,000 milesSan Jose, CA
TIRES
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Sienna equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Cross Climate 2, Tire Size: 235/60/R17, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated sidewalls on all four tires were expanding, causing the tires to bubble and bulge outwardly. The dealer was not contacted. The contact informed the tire shop where tires were purchased of the failures, and two tires were replaced. The contact was unsure what two tires were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 152,000 and the tire failure mileage was approximately 1,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11657784 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Freeport, ME
WHEELS
On 8/22/2022 I had to replace the 2 front tires with MIM-Supreme Tour 18 inch tire 235/55R18. On 8/22/2022 I had 162,323 miles on the 2012 Toyota Sienna XLE 4 months later and 17,252 miles driven - the 2012 Toyota Sienna now has 179,575 miles and on 12/28/2023 the 2 front tires again have to be replaced - Matrix Toyr RS 11 on 18 inch rims. Now its July 2024 - again 6 months and now 6,700 miles and just the front tires are bald and dangerous to drive if any moisture on the road. All these tires are slated for 50,000 miles and I and not getting even half the mileage. Most driving is on highways and regular maintenance occurs on the car. this car should be designed to go at least 25,000 miles ( so once a year ) on a set of tires. I do not drive fast nor aggressive.
NHTSA complaint #11601985 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Spokane Valley, WA
SEATS
The third row passenger side split was stored and then put back up. Upon lifting the seats, pieces fell out (spring, washer, and screw) and the locking mechanism would not lock the seats into place. I am not sure how long these parts were loose, but it is a major safety hazard as the vehicle seat was not secured to the car as intended. We plan to to follow up with Toyota, but upon investigating, it seems that this is an issue for several 2011 Siennas. My Sienna was manufactured 4/2012. This is the smaller of the split seats, but out of an abundance of caution, we don't plan to use the 3rd row at all until a remedy is produced. Unfortunately, I saw only consumer complaints in regards to the 2011 3rd row seating issue and didn't see any solutions.
NHTSA complaint #11554727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hoschton, GA
STEERING
My wife let me know that when turning to the right (not an aggressive turn, but a normal turn from one lane to the next), the whole electrical system of the minivan would shut down and then come back on. I had a mechanic check it out and they say that this is due to the electrical steering system and will have to be replaced by the dealer. He was able to reproduce the same condition where he was able to get the minivan to lose power when changing lanes. He STRONGLY advised that we should have the vehicle towed to the dealer as he felt that it wasn't safe to drive due to this. I feel that this will end up causing a lot of crashes and also that this should be covered by the manufacturer under a recall.
NHTSA complaint #11528362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Phoenix, AZ
POWER TRAIN
Rear axle coupler assembly (part number 41303-28013) making very loud noise and vibration.
NHTSA complaint #11518928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
S Pasadena, CA
SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle stability control activates and causes the car to slow and brake randomly. This occurs at low speeds and when the car is not skidding.
NHTSA complaint #11513986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pomfret Center, CT
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the rear passenger side power sliding door cable broke. The driver-side power sliding door was malfunctioning. There was an abnormal clunking noise detected. The door failed to close with the automatic button. The contact had to manually close the door. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the door needed to be replaced and was informed the repair coverage had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V858000 (Structure).
NHTSA complaint #11512431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pomfret Center, CT
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the rear passenger side power sliding door cable broke. The driver-side power sliding door was malfunctioning. There was an abnormal clunking noise detected. The door failed to close with the automatic button. The contact had to manually close the door. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the door needed to be replaced and was informed the repair coverage had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V858000 (Structure).
NHTSA complaint #11512431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Minneapolis, MN
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We have had problems with our 2011 Sienna's electromagnetic coupling and the rear differential. Through my research, I have learned this is a very common problem with the Toyota Sienna. Appears the same problem occured in the RAV4 and a recall was issued, however an recall was not issued with the Sienna. The repair is very expensive, upwards for $4,000 and we had two electromagnetic couplings fail. Are there any potential action items we can take with Toyota. Kind regards,
NHTSA complaint #11504867 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sugar Land, TX
TIRES:SIDEWALL
10-01-2022 new tire blew out at I-10 , Columbus TX78934 4 new tires installed at 07-07-2022; YOKOHAMA YK-CTX; 235/60 R17 Invoice total cost $1085.76
NHTSA complaint #11502539 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chatham, NYCrash1 injured
AIR BAGS
I was at a full stopped and rear Ended at 30 miles an hour and the air bags did not deploy and I am suffering many injuries pain and loss The air bags didn’t deploy at all
NHTSA complaint #11499500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chatham, NYCrash1 injured
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was at a full stopped and rear Ended at 30 miles an hour and the air bags did not deploy and I am suffering many injuries pain and loss The air bags didn’t deploy at all
NHTSA complaint #11499500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Novi, MI
TIRES
Costco installed 4 tires on my 2012 Toyota Sienna on 11/10/2021. The tire had 80,000 mile warranty. At the time of Tire installation, the mileage on my vehicle was 253,405. I did my tire rotations every 5000 mile at Suburban Toyota in Farmington Hills. I took the vehicle for tire rotation at 283,618 miles and the dealership refused to rotate the tires because the tread was below 3/32 seconds. I thought that this was a mistake and went again to rotate the tires at 288,789 miles. I went to Costco on the same day and told Costco representative at the counter [XXX] that the tire needs to replaced under warranty. I informed him that I drove only 30,000 mile on the tires. He checked all my mileage papers when I did the tire rotations. He went inside and talked to [XXX] (Tire section manager) and told me that the tire need to be under 2/32 seconds for Michelin Warranty to work. I asked him to arrange a tire rotation and scheduled the tire rotation on 12/20/2022. I took the vehicle to Costco on 12/20/2022. The mechanic called me after 30 minutes and informed me that the tire tread is under 2/32 second and cannot be rotated. I talked to [XXX] about it and he went to talk to [XXX]. He told me that the mechanic is going to rotate the tires and I can come back after one month to check the tires again. I informed [XXX] that he, Costco, and Michelin are playing with the safety of my family. He told me that Costco is not concerned about the safety of my family. If I am concerned about the safety of my family, I should change the tires without the warranty. I believe that Costco and Michelin are installing 30,000 mile tires as 80,000 mile warranty tires. I drive most of my driving on the freeway and on cruise control. So there should not be any issue with my driving. I got tires from Discount Tire Company before and had no issue like this. I request NHSTB to investigate the issue and warn people of this issue before people die. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #11499482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chatham, NYCrash1 injured
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
I was at a full stopped and rear Ended at 30 miles an hour and the air bags did not deploy and I am suffering many injuries pain and loss The air bags didn’t deploy at all
NHTSA complaint #11499500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Spring, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The engine stalled, power steering frozen then engine shut off while driving in an intersection. Replaced new battery, dove home upon arrival the engine stalled again, power steering frozen and engine shut off again. I don’t know what’s going on.
NHTSA complaint #11468008 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.